dunes) these activities will become more effective. To achieve this, environmental
education becomes a keystone.
18.4 Future Perspectives
The beach and coastal dunes provide society with a wide array of ecosystem
services, including supporting, provisioning, regulatory and cultural/aesthetic
(Table 18.1). Protection, recreation, and aesthetic are the ones most frequently
studied and their economic values have been calculated, while many other
ecosystem services remain largely overlooked (Tables 18.1, 18.2) (Everard et al.
2010). Needless to say, it is obvious that many of the goals of restoration actions
are also aimed at recovering ecosystem services such as storm protection, recreation, and aesthetic (Table 18.3). An additional goal of restoration that is not
directly related to publically recognized ecosystem services is recovering the
natural dynamics of the beach and coastal dunes. That is, many restoration projects
developed on coastal dunes have been aimed at restoring the mobility and diversity
of native flora. Vegetation removal may seem counter-intuitive to what is expected
by restoration, but, in the case of coastal dunes and beaches, recovering their
natural dynamics is a very important goal (Martínez et al., Chap. 20, this volume).
Upon recovering the natural functionality of these ecosystems, it will be possible
to recover ecosystem services.
Our findings show that the economic value of ecosystem services provided by
coastal dunes is quite high. That is, the economic benefits that society receives
because of the natural functioning of the beach and coastal dunes are very high,
especially protection, recreation, and aesthetic. The porous structure and substrate
mobility of coastal dunes and beaches absorbs and dissipates wave energy, which
helps to protect the coasts and inland infrastructure with minimal human intervention necessary (as long as natural dynamics are allowed to operate) (Everard
et al. 2010). Through this capacity of absorbing and dissipating wave energy, the
costs of hard engineering solutions are reduced. In addition to the above, a
dynamic beach and coastal dune stores sand and provides new sediments that reenter the marine sediment transport system, which can later nourish beaches after
erosion events. Finally, as the natural dynamics of coastal dunes is maintained,
native species will be able to survive and grow, and the scenic beauty of the beach/
dune system is maintained. In brief, in well-preserved coastal dunes and beaches,
the potential benefits to society are maximized, since ecosystem services are
maintained under optimal conditions.
The paradox is that, because of the strong interest in these ecosystems, coasts
are often over-exploited in order to obtain short-term benefits from recreation and
their natural beauty. But, as we exploit these ecosystem services, we degrade them:
the landscape is not as beautiful; beaches are flat and deserted; a coast with urban
infrastructure is not capable of offering protection. That is, our short-term actions
and interests negatively affect the ecosystem services that we value the most.
18 The Coasts and Their Costs
299
education becomes a keystone.
18.4 Future Perspectives
The beach and coastal dunes provide society with a wide array of ecosystem
services, including supporting, provisioning, regulatory and cultural/aesthetic
(Table 18.1). Protection, recreation, and aesthetic are the ones most frequently
studied and their economic values have been calculated, while many other
ecosystem services remain largely overlooked (Tables 18.1, 18.2) (Everard et al.
2010). Needless to say, it is obvious that many of the goals of restoration actions
are also aimed at recovering ecosystem services such as storm protection, recreation, and aesthetic (Table 18.3). An additional goal of restoration that is not
directly related to publically recognized ecosystem services is recovering the
natural dynamics of the beach and coastal dunes. That is, many restoration projects
developed on coastal dunes have been aimed at restoring the mobility and diversity
of native flora. Vegetation removal may seem counter-intuitive to what is expected
by restoration, but, in the case of coastal dunes and beaches, recovering their
natural dynamics is a very important goal (Martínez et al., Chap. 20, this volume).
Upon recovering the natural functionality of these ecosystems, it will be possible
to recover ecosystem services.
Our findings show that the economic value of ecosystem services provided by
coastal dunes is quite high. That is, the economic benefits that society receives
because of the natural functioning of the beach and coastal dunes are very high,
especially protection, recreation, and aesthetic. The porous structure and substrate
mobility of coastal dunes and beaches absorbs and dissipates wave energy, which
helps to protect the coasts and inland infrastructure with minimal human intervention necessary (as long as natural dynamics are allowed to operate) (Everard
et al. 2010). Through this capacity of absorbing and dissipating wave energy, the
costs of hard engineering solutions are reduced. In addition to the above, a
dynamic beach and coastal dune stores sand and provides new sediments that reenter the marine sediment transport system, which can later nourish beaches after
erosion events. Finally, as the natural dynamics of coastal dunes is maintained,
native species will be able to survive and grow, and the scenic beauty of the beach/
dune system is maintained. In brief, in well-preserved coastal dunes and beaches,
the potential benefits to society are maximized, since ecosystem services are
maintained under optimal conditions.
The paradox is that, because of the strong interest in these ecosystems, coasts
are often over-exploited in order to obtain short-term benefits from recreation and
their natural beauty. But, as we exploit these ecosystem services, we degrade them:
the landscape is not as beautiful; beaches are flat and deserted; a coast with urban
infrastructure is not capable of offering protection. That is, our short-term actions
and interests negatively affect the ecosystem services that we value the most.
18 The Coasts and Their Costs
299